Wolf Tooth Drop-Stop 1x9 | Experiment

I have been thinking about converting my Norco Bigfoot to a 1x for some time.  Unfortunately all the 1x conversions I could find on-line were 1x10 or 1x11 . . . my bike is a 9 speed.  I know that I could buy a new cassette, derailleur and shifter to get the 1x10, but I did not want to get into that sort or investment.  I wanted a 1x9.

I contacted Wolftooth, the originator of the 1x systems, to see if they were interested if a 1x9 would work with a stock cassette.  Another hiccup was that my rear derailleur was non-clutched . . . not the preferred setup for a 1x system.  They sent me a 104 x 30T Drop-Stop chainring in blue for the experiment.




The fit and finish on the Drop- Stop was top notch and the colour was stunning.  You can get them in many other colours including black for those less adventurous.

Notice the tooth pattern.




Removal of the crank is necessary for the installation of the Drop- Stop. Taking the drive-train apart will give you an opportunity to clean everything up and replace anything else that needs replacing. Check out the video for instructions.

The Drop-Stop mates up to the crank easily and there is no need to use chainring nuts as the holes in the Wolftooth chainring are threaded.

On my initial field test I retained the bash guard and derailleur bracket (it was held in place by the bottom bracket) as "chain guides" just in case the chain decided to hop.  I put the bike through some pretty tough terrain.  

I later removed the bash guard and derailleur bracket and made another modification to make things run smoother for the second rigorous field test.



Was the experiment a success?

I'm not going to spoil the surprise here (you will want to watch the video), but the Drop-Stop is not coming off my Norco any time soon.

Be sure to check out the video for additional detail, field test, and a neat trick to help remove a bottom bracket.

And be sure to check out the Wolftooth Drop-Stop Chainring.